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The purpose of this thread is to assist you to become tobacco-free forever, without the urge to start-up again. In just one week after starting to quit smoking, you can be free from smoking forever. Information in this Ebook is based on evidence from research on treatments and counseling that help people quit smoking.

If you are about to quit, do you know what to do to fight off that urge to smoke another cigarette? Do you know the reasons that cause you to light up that cigarette? If you are still smoking, you need to ask yourself, Am I ready to quit the smoking habit? Can I do it successfully?

There are two factors that will determine your success. They are;

1. You must have the desire to give up your habit.
2. You must have the confidence to know that you can do it.

Of course its possible to get motivated to quit, yet you fail for a variety of reasons. Quitting smoking can be an uncomfortable experience, and cigarettes have given you something to do for a long time. Consequently, it is only natural to think about the ups and downs of giving them up. Most who try to quit, fail to do so and have to try several times before they succeed. Should you have any doubts about giving up smoking, put it off until you are determined to do so.

Ng'wanza Madaso

JF-Expert Member

The facts and figures we hear each day on quitting smoking are often dressed up in financial figures, government policies and medical terminology. We can simplify the effects of smoking pretty quickly without digging into our medical dictionaries:
Smoking makes your breath stink and stains your teeth.Smoking is not glamorous or tough. It's actually totally the opposite.Smokers are twice as likely to have a heartattack as non-smokers.Smokers are in the highest risk bracket of dying from a heart attack.Smoking light cigarettes is not healthier. There are no healthy cigarettes.Smokers are more likely to develop a whole spectrum of cancers.Smoking massively reduces your fitness level.Smoking reduces your ability to fight disease.Smoking does not calm you down. It's a purely psychological effect.Smoking 20 cigarettes a day for 15 years will cost you at least $65,000. Smoking will kill you younger. The average smoker dies 15- 20 years earlier than they should.We are all going to die some day. Do you really want to rush that day forward? Do you not value your family or life enough to stick around for another 15 - 20 years?You Can't Ignore The Effects Of Smoking

You can take the facts and figures, medical reports and Surgeon General warnings and ignore them. They say ignorance is bliss and smokers generally live in their own little world where they're safe. They'll never get sick. It can never happen to them.

They'll quit next week. Next month. Next year. Ignoring the fact that you're slowly killing yourself by poisoning your body with cigarettes is not going to make it go away.Sit down and decide today. Get control of your life again. Quit smoking.

Ng'wanza Madaso

JF-Expert Member

Ng'wanza Madaso

JF-Expert Member

Cigarettes are filled with poison that goes into the lungs when you inhale. Coughing, dizziness, and burning of the eyes, nose, and throat are early signs that smoking is harming you. Smoking increases your health risks if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or high blood cholesterol. The long-term problems of smoking cigarettes are the following:

Cancer: Smoking increases your chances of getting cancer. Cigarette smoking may play a role in developing many kinds of cancer. Lung cancer is the most common kind of cancer caused by smoking. A smoker is at greater risk of getting cancer of the lips, mouth, throat, or voice box. Smokers also have a higher risk of getting esophagus, stomach, kidney, pancreas, cervix, bladder, and skin cancer.

Heart and blood vessel disease:

If you already have heart or blood vessel problems and smoke, you are at even greater risk of having continued or worse health problems. The nicotine in the tobacco causes an increase in your heart rate and blood pressure. The arteries (blood vessels) in your arms and legs tighten and narrow because of the nicotine in cigarette smoke. Cigarette smoke increases blood clotting, and may damage the lining of your heart's arteries and other blood vessels.

Carbon monoxide is a harmful gas that gets into the blood and decreases oxygen going to the heart and the body. Cigarette smoke contains this gas. Hardening of the arteries happens more often in smokers than in nonsmokers. This may make it more likely for you to have a stroke (blood clot in your brain). The more cigarettes you smoke, the greater your risk of a heart attack.

Lung disease:

The younger you are when you start smoking, the greater your risk of getting lung diseases. Many smokers have a cough which is caused by the chemicals in smoke. These chemicals harm the cilia (tiny hairs) that line the lungs and help remove dirt and waste products. Depending upon how much you smoke, your lungs become gray and "dirty" (they look like charcoal). Healthy lungs are pink.

Chronic bronchitis is a serious lung infection which is often caused by smoking. Emphysema is a long-term lung disease that may be caused by smoking cigarettes. Cigarette smoking also makes asthma worse. You are at a higher risk of getting colds, pneumonia, and other lung infections if you smoke.

Gastrointestinal disease: Cigarette smoking increases the amount of acid that is made by your stomach, and may cause a peptic ulcer. A peptic ulcer is an open sore in the stomach or duodenum (part of the intestine). You may also get gastroesophageal reflux from smoking. This is when you have a backflow of stomach acid into your esophagus (food tube).

Other problems: The following are other problems that smoking may cause:

Bad breath.

Bad smell in your clothes, hair, and skin.

Decreased ability to play sports or do physical activities because of breathing problems.

Earlier than normal wrinkling of the skin, usually the face.

Higher risk of bone fractures, such as hip, wrist, or spine.

Higher risk of starting a fire. This may happen if you fall asleep with a lit cigarette.

Men may have problems having an erection.

Sleeping problems.

Smoking is an expensive (costly) habit. You will save money if you choose to stop smoking.

Ng'wanza Madaso

JF-Expert Member

Ng'wanza Madaso

JF-Expert Member

Women and smoking:
You may have a higher risk of having a heart attack or stroke if you smoke and use birth control pills. This risk is more serious if you are 35 years or older. The risk of losing your unborn baby or having a stillborn baby is higher if you are pregnant and smoke. Babies born to smoking mothers often weigh less, and are at a higher risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). You may have a harder time getting pregnant if you are a smoker. Women who smoke may have a higher risk of osteoporosis (also known as "brittle bones"). Women who smoke also have a higher risk of incontinence, which is when you are unable to control when you urinate.

Ng'wanza Madaso

JF-Expert Member

Ng'wanza Madaso

JF-Expert Member

Tobacco smoke is dangerous to others. The effect that smoking has on nonsmokers is called "passive smoking". Nonsmokers who breathe tobacco smoke have the same health risks as smokers. Children who are around tobacco smoke may have more colds, ear infections, or other breathing problems.

Ng'wanza Madaso

JF-Expert Member

Ng'wanza Madaso

JF-Expert Member

A large percentage of people have tried to quit smoking at least once. Most people who try to quit smoking go through a series of stages. Following are the stages you may go through to stop smoking:

Thinking about quitting.

Deciding to quit on a certain day.

Quitting smoking.

Successfully staying an ex-smoker.

You must be strong in order to quit smoking. When you decide to quit, you can get help from your caregiver or others. You will learn that there are many ways to stop smoking. Talk to your caregiver about the best method for you when you are ready to quit smoking. Ask your caregiver for more information about how to stop smoking.